CHS’s Child Care Payment Program provides subsidized child care services (free or low-cost child care) to eligible families. Families may be eligible for services within the Child Care Payment Program, including the Alternative Payment, CalWORKs, or Family Child Care Home Education Network Programs. Families may apply for the Child Care Payment Program by completing the CHS Eligibility Questionnaire. In all programs, CHS provides parents with child care referrals and technical assistance.

Below is additional information about each of these programs:

  • Alternative Payment
    • This program pays for part or all of child care expenses while eligible parents work, seek work, attend school, seek permanent housing, experience homelessness, are incapacitated, have children who are deemed at risk by a legally qualified professional, and/or are receiving child protective services.
  • CalWORKs
    • This program pays for part or all of child care expenses for parents transitioning off cash aid while parents participate in CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work plans, are employed, or attend school. Families are referred to CHS through local offices of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), or families self-refer by completing a CHS Eligibility Questionnaire.
  • Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN)
    • This program is a partnership between the parent, family child care home provider, and CHS. The FCCHEN Program offers child care to eligible parents, supports the quality of child care, and establishes relationships between children, parents, family child care home providers, and CHS staff. Family child care home providers participating in the FCCHEN Program receive ongoing professional development training, guidance, and technical support from CHS staff to ensure high-quality child development services. For more information regarding the FCCHEN Program, click here.
  • CalWorks Colocation Program
    The Colocation Program provides Child Care Resource and Referral services to Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) clients, specifically at the Laguna Hills, Santa Ana, and Anaheim SSA offices. Staff serve SSA clients by assisting them in locating child care to enable them to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. SSA clients include, but are not limited to, applicants for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act (CalWORKs), Welfare-to-Work (WTW) participants, and participants discontinued from CalWORKs. In addition to enhanced child care referrals, services include consumer education, child care orientations/workshops, assistance with the TrustLine registration process, and the CalWORKs Stage 1 to 2 and Stage 3 referral process.

CHS also pays for all or part of child care for families who qualify for the following programs:

  • Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program)
    • This program provides vouchers for emergency child care for foster children, navigator services (enhanced referrals and support) to families, and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) trainings and coaching to child care providers. The Bridge Program helps families overcome one of the biggest barriers to fostering children: lack of child care. Children are referred and enrolled based on referrals from the local county.
  • Exceptional Family Member Respite Care
    • The US Navy Exceptional Family Member (EFM) Respite Care Program (Respite) offers a quality respite care program to help active duty Navy families who have children with special needs to have respite child care. These families are referred to CHS by the US Navy. The EFM Respite Care Program provides parents the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate with peace of mind, knowing their child is well cared for, it also includes any siblings in the home. Many of the providers who provide respite care for these families have medical backgrounds or extensive experience on dealing with a variety of special needs. This program offers up to 40 hours of child care per family, per month. Families can use respite care with an approved child care provider in the family’s home, a family child care home, or an off-base child care center setting.